M (B) Draft of stories due for workshop/sharing (4 copies)
Come to school early if you need me to copy for you! For Discussion:
What are your questions?
Each row take a sentence and try to make it show, using concrete images, rather than tell.
What is the life lesson OR how did everything change? How can we make this clear without making it into a billboard with flashing lights that says hereherehere?
1. Work with student samples to demonstrate showing rather than telling.
2. Revise with remaining time.
Note: Students with copies can meet in the hall to share and discuss how to improve (using discussion questions above).
HW: Independent Reading
T (C) Story revising in class
Form groups with copies ready for workshopping.
1. Write questions about each story on sticky notes. Discuss questions to encourage the writer to fill in the details of the story.
2. Suggest sentence improvements for each essay -- use your sticky notes.
3. Discuss how the essay can make its point more clear, but without making it into a billboard with flashing lights that says hereherehere.
HW: Independent Reading
W (D) Working on stories with partners (print out a copy of your revision for class)
HW: Post Job Descriptions for Student Learning Teams in Collaborize
Th (E) 5A: Student Learning Teams; 5B: English Workshop, Chapter 9: "The Predicate"; "Complete Predicate and Simple Predicates" (pp. 87-90)
HW: 5A: English Workshop, Chapter 9: "The Predicate"; "Complete Predicate and Simple Predicates" (pp. 87-90)
5B: English Workshop, Chapter 9: "The Verb Phrase" and "Review Exercise" (do all for the "Review Exercise", pp. 91-94)
F (F): 5A:English Workshop, Chapter 9: "The Verb Phrase" and "Review Exercise" (do all for the "Review Exercise"; pp. 91-94); 5B: Student Learning Teams
HW: Independent Reading
Note: Students who have not finished their English Workshop exercises (listed above) should complete them for homework. Students should also be working on their 2nd drafts of their stories. Drafts should be completed and printed out by the end of class on Tuesday, February 12. All students should also have independent reading book for reading time every day and for longer periods on designated days.
Week 6 (Feb. 11-15)
M (A) Review exercises in English Workshop from last week; reading time
HW: Continue to work on story revisions. Plan to finish story revisions and print out from a USB drive tomorrow by the end of class.
T (B) Work on story revisions. Draft 2 of stories are due (one copy printed to hand in) by the end of class; reading time for those who have finished and printed their drafts
HW: Independent reading
W (C) Reading day; conferences on stories
Read sample first sentences from independent reading books.
Showing or telling? (Read first sentences from students' stories.
Hint 1: SET THE SCENE (A LITTLE MOMENT)
Start by zooming in on what you see, hear, smell or taste. Name specific images!
Start with what is happening around you.
Start with dialogue.
Hint 2: STRUCTURE YOUR STORY
Make separate paragraphs for each "little moment" leading up to the "BIG MOMENT" (climax) of your story. End on another "little moment" that happens after the BIG MOMENT (climax).
Hint 3: USE DIALOGUE
Create separate paragraphs for each speaker. Use "dialogue tags" only if you need them. Make the dialogue sound natural, as close as possible to what the speaker might actually say.
Hint 4 (Advanced): TRY USING PRESENT TENSE
Sometimes it helps to make everything happen "on the page" by using present tense for all you verbs.
HW: English Workshop, Chapter 9: "Simple Sentences and Compound Sentences" and "Kinds of Sentences" (pp. 95-98).
Th (D) Review exercises in English Workshop; reading time/conferences on stories
HW: Submit team reports for Student Learning Teams on Collaborize.
Note: Team reports will vary according to directions given by CEOs, but all students should post on their progress and research since the last meeting (each team has a "Documentation" forum in which to do this). Document all of your project work please. Feel free to post pictures of sketches, links to resources, etc.)
Friday: Student Holiday; Parent-Teacher Conferences
(B) Reading/discussion
(C) Quiz/Writing
(D) Reading/discussion
(E) Learning Teams/Collaborize (double period); vocabulary/grammar
(F) Learning Teams/Collaborize (double period); vocabulary/grammar
Week 5 (Feb. 4-8)
M (B) Draft of stories due for workshop/sharing (4 copies)
Come to school early if you need me to copy for you!
For Discussion:
- What are your questions?
- Each row take a sentence and try to make it show, using concrete images, rather than tell.
- What is the life lesson OR how did everything change? How can we make this clear without making it into a billboard with flashing lights that says hereherehere?
1. Work with student samples to demonstrate showing rather than telling.2. Revise with remaining time.
Note: Students with copies can meet in the hall to share and discuss how to improve (using discussion questions above).
HW: Independent Reading
T (C) Story revising in class
Form groups with copies ready for workshopping.
1. Write questions about each story on sticky notes. Discuss questions to encourage the writer to fill in the details of the story.
2. Suggest sentence improvements for each essay -- use your sticky notes.
3. Discuss how the essay can make its point more clear, but without making it into a billboard with flashing lights that says hereherehere.
HW: Independent Reading
W (D) Working on stories with partners (print out a copy of your revision for class)
HW: Post Job Descriptions for Student Learning Teams in Collaborize
Th (E) 5A: Student Learning Teams; 5B: English Workshop, Chapter 9: "The Predicate"; "Complete Predicate and Simple Predicates" (pp. 87-90)
HW: 5A: English Workshop, Chapter 9: "The Predicate"; "Complete Predicate and Simple Predicates" (pp. 87-90)
5B: English Workshop, Chapter 9: "The Verb Phrase" and "Review Exercise" (do all for the "Review Exercise", pp. 91-94)
F (F): 5A:English Workshop, Chapter 9: "The Verb Phrase" and "Review Exercise" (do all for the "Review Exercise"; pp. 91-94); 5B: Student Learning Teams
HW: Independent Reading
Note: Students who have not finished their English Workshop exercises (listed above) should complete them for homework. Students should also be working on their 2nd drafts of their stories. Drafts should be completed and printed out by the end of class on Tuesday, February 12. All students should also have independent reading book for reading time every day and for longer periods on designated days.
Week 6 (Feb. 11-15)
M (A) Review exercises in English Workshop from last week; reading timeHW: Continue to work on story revisions. Plan to finish story revisions and print out from a USB drive tomorrow by the end of class.
T (B) Work on story revisions. Draft 2 of stories are due (one copy printed to hand in) by the end of class; reading time for those who have finished and printed their drafts
HW: Independent reading
W (C) Reading day; conferences on stories
Read sample first sentences from independent reading books.
Showing or telling? (Read first sentences from students' stories.
Hint 1: SET THE SCENE (A LITTLE MOMENT)
Start by zooming in on what you see, hear, smell or taste. Name specific images!
Start with what is happening around you.
Start with dialogue.
Hint 2: STRUCTURE YOUR STORY
Make separate paragraphs for each "little moment" leading up to the "BIG MOMENT" (climax) of your story. End on another "little moment" that happens after the BIG MOMENT (climax).
Hint 3: USE DIALOGUE
Create separate paragraphs for each speaker. Use "dialogue tags" only if you need them. Make the dialogue sound natural, as close as possible to what the speaker might actually say.
Hint 4 (Advanced): TRY USING PRESENT TENSE
Sometimes it helps to make everything happen "on the page" by using present tense for all you verbs.
HW: English Workshop, Chapter 9: "Simple Sentences and Compound Sentences" and "Kinds of Sentences" (pp. 95-98).
Th (D) Review exercises in English Workshop; reading time/conferences on stories
HW: Submit team reports for Student Learning Teams on Collaborize.
Note: Team reports will vary according to directions given by CEOs, but all students should post on their progress and research since the last meeting (each team has a "Documentation" forum in which to do this). Document all of your project work please. Feel free to post pictures of sketches, links to resources, etc.)
Friday: Student Holiday; Parent-Teacher Conferences